Results tagged “job hunting”

You would think that, short of misspelling the recipient's name, there would be very few ways to screw up a one-page thank-you letter. But any number of minor slip-ups can cost you a potential job opportunity. One that hiring managers

The good news is that the job market is improving, albeit slowly. The bad news is that you might still be looking. If so, maybe it's time for a little self-evaluation. Do any of these issues ring a bell? Your

The holidays are prime time for snagging a temp job. Too bad these jobs often disappear the minute the New Year's confetti has settled. Would you like to hold on to a temp job? Here's how. Think of it as

Life gets busier this time of year. No one would blame you if you, as a job seeker, decided to put the whole job-hunting project on hold until January. After all, conventional wisdom says that employers don't hire in December

The job market is improving overall, but it's still a tough row to hoe for 50-somethings. According to AARP, the length of the median job hunt for workers age 55 or older is nearly a year. If this is you,

Sounds counterintuitive, doesn't it? Of course your cover letter is going to be about you! But think: What is the best way to win the attention and interest and good regard of, well, just about anyone? You know the answer,

Have you ever applied for a job and been told you were overqualified? It might sound weird, but employers are actually suspicious of employees with too many qualifications, even though you may have good reason to seek a "lesser" position.

What is the one question a hiring manager will never ask, but that is crucial in whether or not you'll get the job? (Hint: It's a question the manager is asking himself or herself.) Give up? OK, here it is:

Too many job interviews are general, rather than specific. This is bad, because the best way to wow a potential employer is to specifically show him or her how your specific skills and experience relate, specifically, to that employer's needs.

Dear hiring manager: You ask a lot from job seekers. Well, turnabout is fair play. We'd like to ask a few things of you. Could you notify applicants when the position is filled? It's one thing to ignore a mailed-in

To get a good job, you need the right skills, education and experience. But that's not all; employers are also looking for other, fuzzier qualities. Here are some of the biggies, in no particular order: Judgment. When interviewers ask, "Tell

If you've been job hunting for any length of time, you undoubtedly understand the importance of compelling cover letters, snazzy resumes, knock-'em-dead interviews, the all-important thank-you note and -- of course -- networking. However, if you've been pounding the pavement

Here's a depressing truth: When hiring managers consider a resume, the first thing they look for is a reason to eliminate it. And yes, even today, when staying at a firm long enough to earn a gold watch is practically

It happens all the time. Job interviewers are unprepared. Or inexperienced. Or untrained. Or have poor social skills. In fact, many interviewers will appear to have never glanced at your resume. You may even arrive to find that they have

Sure, the economy is getting better -- slowly. The key word here is "slowly." Getting a job can still be tough. Therefore, if you happen to already have a job, you should feel lucky. Right? Right. In theory. But what

"Goal-oriented." "Innovative." "Self-starter." "Dynamic." Are your eyes glazing over? Of course they are. Resume buzzwords are a turn-off for you as well as for potential employers. Buzzwords make your resume blend in rather than stand out. They are tired and

The bad news: Employers are often suspicious of applicants with too many qualifications. They fear you'll want too much money. Or that you're slumming until something better comes along. Or that you'll resent being supervised by a younger or less-experienced

We've all heard them before -- the long list of steps that job seekers are supposed to take in order to get their resume looked at, much less get themselves in front of a hiring manager. Often those tips are

In my previous post, I showcased three examples of unemployed folks who came up with unorthodox ways to promote their qualifications beyond the standard "respond to ads, talk to recruiters, network with your friends" regimen most job seekers today tend

At a time when almost every resume in existence seems to trumpet "creative problem-solving" skills, the question remains: Why does there seem to be so LITTLE creativity applied in the average person's job-search routine? I'm not asking this question rhetorically.

While I'm far from a credentialed historian, I've been studying the process of job hunting for a great many years now. My perception is that up until the year 2000 or so, the landscape didn't change much. While there were